Brooder



V. CASAZZA BROODER Filed Sept. 10

1923 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 u h m 12 V. CASAZZA BROODER Filed Sept. 10. 1923 2 Sheets-Shoat ,2

Patented July 22, 1924 srATES vannnrnvo casAzzA, OF vrnnLAnn, nnw JERSEY.-

BROODER.

Application filed September 10, 1923. SeriaI'NmBGLSOQ.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, VALENTINO Casazzn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Vineland, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brooders,

of which the following is a specification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in brooders.

An important object of the invention is to provide in a device 'of this character means for preventing crowding of the baby chicks about the brooder stove.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is adjustable to vary the height of the canopy or cover of the brooder as respects the base thereof so as to accommodate chicks of various sizes.

A further object of the invention is'to provide a brooder base or platform so constructed that it is readily assembled, may be easily shipped, and can be employed in a variety of arrangements to suit the wishes of the operator.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brooder constructed in accordance with my invention; 1

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of one section of the brooder, the brooder cover being shown in section;

' Figure 4 shows a preferred manner of mounting the walls oft-he platform;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the adjusting blocks;

Figure 6 is a plan view or a half section of the brooder detached;

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view thereof showing the manner of housing the side walls during shipment;

Figure 8 is a perspective showing the cloths employed; 7

Figure 9 is a perspective of the'water pan employed; and

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view through the base section as assembled for shipment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the brooder is composed of. two separable base sections 10, each substantially em la n f r d ea h C ns s ing of sills l1, and 12 anda bottom platform 13; The sills 11 are in the form of diametri= s cally extendingbeams having means at their ends, as at 141, whereby they maybe e cured together. 'Extending outwardly from the beams 11 are the sill beams 12 towhich is secured the platform-13; Each 13 is notched centrally, as indicated at 15,

the notches 15 combining when the platform sections are in assembled relation to form an opening for the reception of abrooder,

stove 16.

Adjacent the inner edges of the platforms haveprojecting upwardly therefrom supporting pins- 17 which are removable. About the periphery of the platform are arranged'a plurality of similar pins18, eachpin preferably eXtend ing through an open ng formed in the platform and into a sill 11 or 12', all of the pins 17 and 18 being removable. Each pin 17 or 18 is provided at its upepr end with an eye 19, these eyes being for the reception of a supporting wire 20 the purpose of which will presently appear. Associated with, each section is a wall 21, shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6 as consisting of a single-length,

of'tin bent at its ends to form eyes 22 which may he slipped over the endmost pins 18 of their respective sections with the tin sheet arranged about the remaining pins 18. The sheet thus forms a semi-circular wall, pre venting passage of the chicks from the platform. In'Figure 4 I have illustrated apreferred construction in which the :pins ,18 are slotted, as indicated at 23, and the wall 21 consists of a plurality of sections 24, each section having its ends engaged in the slots of adjacent pins 18.

It will'be seen that when the walls 21 are, applied to the platforms and the platform sections are secured together a circular wall is provided which by reason of the arrangement of the endmost pins 18 upon the periphery of the platform sections has spaces formed therebetween indicatedat 25. These spaces provide for the insertionof drinking fountains 25 which are preferably constructed as shown in Figures2 and 9. In these figures I have illustrated the fountain as consisting of a cup having a drinking section 26 and a filling section 27, .thesesec tions being connected by a restricted neck edges of the notch 15 the;

23 which is of awidth equal to the distance between the adjacent faces of the spaced posts 18. Projecting upwardly from the bottoms of the cups or fountains 25 are T- shaped boards 29 having secured to the upper ends thereof a board 30 having the same shape as the cup and which serves the dual purposes of steadying the cup and prevent ing the chicks from entering the drlnklng fountain. These cups, it will be noted, may

increase the height of the wall 21 or the cloths maybe employed as a wall alone by simply hanging them over the wire and allowing the ends to drop to the platform 13. On cold nights the cloths may have one weighted end thereof rested upon the surface of the brooder cover 33 and the other end thereof laid across the top of the wall 21, in which event escape of the heat from the brooder lamp 16 will be prevented.

' As a support for the brooder cover 33 I I provide blocks 34, each consisting of a top 35 and sides 36 in the form of truncated trl angles so that when placed upon the platform 13 they combine therewith to form funnels either considerably restricting the passage of heat from the brooder cover 33 or permitting more rapid passage thereof while still restricting the passage of the heated air to a certain extent to prevent too rapid dispersal thereof. In any event these blocks serve to direct the heat in a plurality of directions so that the chicks, instead of congregating at a single point, will congregate at a plurality of points spaced from the lamp. In the ordinary brooder construction where the passage of heat ordinarily de pends upon the position of the cover 33, a slight uneveness in the arrangement of this cover will cause the majority of the heat to pass from this side thereof with the result that the chicks crowd to the side where the heat is greatest or gather about the store. This crowding frequently results in the death of numbers of small chicks and is constant source of loss to breeders. It is pointed out that when the chicks are small the blocks 35 can be arranged as shown'in solid lines in Figure 2 and when so arranged will restrict the passage of heat and cause the heat to be directed outwardly in a plurality of directions each affording a space for the accommodation of the chicks. As the chicks become larger the arrangement of the blocks can be altered the larger ends of the blocks being placed outwardly as the larger chicks have a tendency to collect at the outside of the cover. It will be seen that with a device of the type described the same may be very readily shipped for the reason that the side wall covers and pins may be removed and stored flatly against the platform sections and these platform sections may be further folded together. At the same time the device may be very readily assembled and it has been found in practice to admirably accomplish the results de-.

sired, particularly in the matter of preventing crowding of the'chicks as hereinbefore set forth. Since the specific structure hereinbefore recited is capable of certain changes and modifications without materially departing from the spirit of my invention I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a brooder platform, a pair of semicylindrical floor sections adapted to be se cured together to provide a circular floor, posts extending upwardly from each of said sections about the periphery thereof, and a wall detachably secured to said posts and enclosing the circular floor, the end postsof each of said sections being spaced from the meeting edges of the sections whereby to form spaces in said walls, and drinking fountains having restricted portions engageablle1 between said posts and completing the wa 2. In a brooder platform, a pair of semicylindrical floor sections adapted to be secured together to provide a circularfloor posts extending upwardly from each of said sections about the periphery thereof, and a wall detachably secured to said posts and enclosing the circular floor, a flexible element connecting the upper ends of said posts, and cloths suspended from said flexible elements.

3. In combination with a brooder platform and brooder cover, a plurality of hollow blocks each in the form of a truncated pyramid resting upon the floor and receivingupon the upper surfaces thereof the lower edge of said brooder cover.

4:. In a brooder, a floor section, a brooder cover supported from the floor section approximately centrally thereof, posts extending upwardly from the floor section about the periphery thereof, a wall carried by said posts enclosing the circular floor, a flexible element trained about the upper ends of the posts and cloths suspended from said flexible elements and having their ends weighted.

5. In a brooder, a floor section.a brooder cover supported from the floor section approximately centrally thereof, posts extending upwardly from the floor section about distance between said wall and the adjacent the periphery thereof, a wall carried by said edge of the brooder cover whereby they may posts enclosing the circular floor, a flexible be supported from each thereof and enclose 1 element trained about the upper ends of the the space therebetween.

5 posts and cloths suspended from said flexi- In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my ble elements and having their ends weighted, signature. 7 said cloths being of greater length than the VALENTINO CASAZZA. 

